Hearts On Stars
by MoonlightRealGirl
Summary: Minako is the only inner Senshi without a lover, and she can't take it anymore! Apparently neither can her talking cat, Artemis. But when he wishes upon a star to become human and comfort his lonely friend, a new and exciting adventure begins as the two grow closer throughout their times spent together. But will this relationship blossom into something more than just friendship?
1. Chapter 1

" **SAILOR V! SAILOR V! SAILOR V!** " The crowd chanted as they waited for the idol to take the stage.

"You sure about this, Minako?" Artemis asked as he looked up at his partner. "You only had one hour of sleep last night."

Minako shrugged and waved her hands dismissively. "C'mon, Artemis! I think you're forgetting the fact that I defeated five super villains over the course of two years and overcame death. _Literally._ If I can have a double life as a super heroine that constantly fights off evil with my love and beauty as Sailor Venus, then I'm pretty sure I can sing in front of a few thousands of people under one hour of sleep as the ever so popular idol, Sailor V!"

"But Minako, this isn't the only day you've done this. You've been getting very little sleep for a few weeks. I'm starting to get a little bit worried about you." Artemis lowered his ears in concern, and Minako gave him a soft smile. She thought it was absolutely adorable when Artemis did that, which was pretty much everyday, because Minako was always getting herself into trouble.

"Artemis... You're always worried about me." She stated as she took Artemis off her shoulder.

"True." He jokingly admitted.

Minako giggled and turned towards the door when she heard the chanting get significantly louder.

"But I really must be going. I promise I'll go straight to my bed as soon as I come home. Of course, after taking a shower. Okay?"

Before even waiting for a response, Minako gave Artemis a quick pat on the head before dashing out of the dressing room.

"Oh Minako, always making promises." Artemis said to himself. "I just hope she keeps it this time."

 ***After Concert***

" **MINAKO-CHAN!** " Usagi yelled as she ran towards her friend, along with three other girls and their boyfriends.

" _Shhh!_ We're still close to the stadium, you don't want people to hear!" Minako reminded as she hugged each of them tightly.

"Oh, right. Secret identity. Forgot!" Usagi disclosed as she laughed nervously.

"Don't you think it's a little stressful having _another_ alter ego other than..." Ami looked at Motoki, Yuuichiro and Uwara, then lowered her head and put her hands up to cover her mouth. "Sailor Venus?"

Minako shrugged and waved her hands dismissively... Again. She seems to do that a lot. "Well, wouldn't you think that was good experience? Now, I'm an expert at keeping secrets and alter egos!" Minako replied rather loudly.

Yuuichiro, Motoki, and Urawa looked at Minako strangely, wandering what the heck that weird blonde was rambling about now.

"Oh gosh." Rei sighed, putting her head in her hands.

"Well!" Mamoru blurted, desperately trying to change the subject. "You were amazing up there!" He complimented, briefly hugging Minako.

"Yeah Minako, it seems as if you're getting better every time I hear you!" Motoki chimed in, patting her on the back.

"I just knew you'd make a good idol, Minako. And it's not just because of my special future telling abilities either." Urawa added.

Everyone chuckled, and then silence rose upon them as they all looked at Yuuichiro, waiting for him to congratulate Minako. Rei nudged him in the stomach, hoping he'd get the idea, but he just stood completely still, staring at a bird making circles in the sky.

"Don't mind him, he does that a lot, as you should know." Said Rei as she forced out a fake and awkward laugh.

"And, of course, we girls don't even have to say anything, because you already know how we feel about your performance, Minako-chan." Makoto commended, putting her hands on Minako's shoulders. "So with that said, how about we all head to the Fruits Parlor Crown?"

The gang cheered in what seemed like harmony and started heading towards Mamoru's car, which surprisingly was able to carry all nine of them. As Minako took a step, she felt as if something was... Missing.

"Guys," Minako squeaked as everybody turned around. "I feel like there's something terribly wrong."

Rei walked up to Minako and grabbed her arm. "You're probably just tired from the concert. Artemis _did_ tell me you got only one hour of sleep last nigh-"

" **GAH!** " Minako suddenly squawked. " **ARTEMIS! I FORGOT ARTEMIS!** " Minako rapidly turned around. "Aw gee, he's probably completely lost, wandering aimlessly within the halls. I'll be right back guys, I promise!"

And with that, Minako dashed back towards the stadium. As everyone stared at Minako's sprinting legs, they all simultaneously shook their head and sighed. Well, almost everybody. Usagi was now joining Yuuichiro in his fascination of the bird making circles in the sky.

"That poor cat." Ami breathed.

Mamoru nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it."


	2. Chapter 2

" **ARTEMIS! ARTEMIS, WHERE ARE YOU?!** " Minako screamed throughout backstage of the stadium she previously performed in as Sailor V, running from door to door.

"Okay... I checked the dressing room... Three times. All of backstage... Ah!" Minako ran to a crew member, tripping over equipment in the process.

"Oh my stars, are you alright!" He exclaimed, reaching out a hand to help the disoriented blonde.

"No no, that's okay, I'm just _fiiiiiinnnnne_ \- man you are!" Minako gushed, dreamily gazing upon the handsome gentleman above her.

 _Oooh, what a hunkster!_ Minako thought. _This could be my chance! Let's just hope I don't mess up this time._

"Um...Are you sure you're okay, miss? You fell pretty hard there, and it looks like it's getting to your head." Said the crew man with a smirk.

 _How DARE he?!_

"I'm just kidding, just kidding. Here, let me help you."

Minako looked up and sighed dramatically. "Well, if you insist." Minako reached for his hand and pulled herself up. As she looked at the man, Minako realized that his face was turning red and his fingers were going cold.

"Er...Miss?" He muttered. Minako goofily giggled and slowly nodded.

 _This is it! Oh, I just KNOW he's going to ask me-_

"Your're... Kinda cutting off the circulation to my hands."

 _...out._

"Gosh, I'm so sorry!" Minako squealed, quickly letting go of the man.

"Yeah, it's okay, I guess. Just... Possibly broken fingers. _Heh._ "

Awkward silence fell upon them as Minako once more gawked at the poor crew man. "Has anybody ever told you how handsome you are?" Minako suddenly burst out.

"Huh?"

"I mean, I'm sure you get it all the time. But I'm pretty certain you haven't heard it from a mega-super idol, am I right?"

"Um... I'm afraid I don't know what you're-"

"There's no need to be afraid. I'm just a regular... Good looking human being." Minako cooed, moving closer to the man and grabbing his arm.

"Just. Like. You."

The crew man's face flooded in scarlet once again, now burning with embarrassment and utter fear. " _Dah_ , I have to... Um... Go now!" He stuttered, slowly backing up. "Ya know, being part of the crew for Sailor V is a lot of work and-" Before even finishing his sentence, the man was gone in a flash, leaving what appeared to be a cloud of dust in the shape of his figure behind.

"That's okay!" Minako yelled out in the distance. "I completely... Understand." She lowered her head down and sighed in defeat.

"Nice going, Minako. Another chance of love gone." She whispered to herself.

" _Miiinaaa!_ " A noise from behind hissed. Minako quickly whirled around, only to find Artemis's not-so-happy looking face and to whirl back around.

"Oh, I see how it is." The cat seethed. "First you completely forget me in the dressing room, and now you're pretending I don't even exist!"

As the words sank into Minako's head, she slowly and shamefully turned back around. "Can't you just give me a break?!" She snapped, walking towards Artemis and harshly picking him up.

A few other crew members walking around were giving Minako strange glances, wondering who she was talking to.

"You know what, I just about had it up to _here_ with people looking at me like I'm an alien." She said, straightening her clothes and clearing her throat.

"Well, Mina, technically...You _are_ an alien. Ya know, being the princess of Venus and all." Artemis choked out, trying to hold back laughter.

"Shut up, Artemis! Do you honestly think it's the time to crack jokes?" Minako barked, puffing her cheeks out.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to hang out with the people who actually accept who I am."

 ***Fruits Parlor Crown***

"Woah, it's _packed_ in here!" Usagi enthused, staring at all of the chattering and laughing people sitting at what seemed like every table.

Minako suddenly gasped, making everyone jump. "What if our special spot is taken?!"

"Don't worry, I told my sis to always reserve it just for us." Motoki assured.

Unazaki, who was balancing trays of drinks, eyed the group and quickly served some guests before stomping over.

"Uh-oh. You didn't leave her all alone with all of these people, did you?!" Makoto inquired anxiously, pulling Motoki's arm.

"Motoki, I can't _believe_ you left me alone with all of these people!" Unazaki fumed, balling her fists.

"Well that answers our question." Usagi mumbled, receiving a gentle elbow from Ami afterwards.

"You **KNEW** it was going to be crowded after the Sailor V concert, but because of your meatball brain, today just **HAD** to be the day you decide to abandon me?!" Unazaki continued. She untied her apron and angrily threw it on Motoki.

"They're all yours from now on!" Unazaki joyfully declared, suddenly shifting from frustrated vexation to happy-go-lucky perkiness. Makoto awkwardly looked back and forth between Motoki and his sister before slowly raising her hand for attention. "Um..."

"Oh, yes yes, I've saved your special spots of course!"

"Yes, but-"

"As for me, I'm going to go and do what I originally planned to do for today. And _that_ is spend time with my boyfriend. _Toodle-loo!_ " Soon enough, Unazaki skipped out of the cafè.

 _Aw man. Unazaki, too?_ Minako thought. _I've heard so little from her, I forgot she even had a boyfriend! I guess I really AM the loner in this situation._

"Well...I'm certain that's fair." Makoto said in defeat. "Considering _someone_ left her juggling orders alone when he knew it was a busy night."

Motoki laughed nervously and gave Makoto a soft smile. "I'll spend the day with you tomorrow, my beautiful flower. I promise." He flattered, planting a quick peck on her cheek.

Makoto blushed and giggled. "Okay, mister charmer. You got me."

Minako rolled her eyes at the unnerving scene in front of her while Usagi rapidly rubbed her grumbling stomach.

"Can we sit down already? My tummy's about to explode in dire hunger. Right, tummy?" Usagi lifted her shirt and put her hands on her belly button and cleared her throat. " _That's right, Usagi! I might explode in dire-_ "

"Usagi, what do you think you're doing? You wanna get stared at? There are a lot of people here, stop that!" Rei scolded as she pulled Usagi's shirt back down. However, Yuuichiro soon made his stomach talk as well, and it wasn't long before the two hungry bellies were having a conversation.

Ami snickered and turned away while Urawa just stood there staring in awe at the two goofballs. Mamoru slowly scooted towards Minako and put his arms around her.

"What are you doing?" Minako calmly asked.

"Pretending you're my girlfriend." Mamoru replied with shame in his eyes.

 _Pretending?! So it's hit THAT low of a point, huh. I swear..._

"Ugh, I can't take this!" Minako suddenly exclaimed. "Can we just **EAT** something please!"

" _That's what I'm sayin', Minak-KYA!"_ Usagi's antics were suddenly cut short as Rei forcefully chopped the bouncy blonde on the top of her head.

After a few laughs and scoldings from Rei, the gang finally walked over to their special spot. In their usual pairs, of course. Well, except for Makoto and Minako. Makoto was getting the love from her significant other tomorrow, but that still left Minako all alone.

As they sat down, Minako, who was behind everyone, began to have second thoughts about tagging along with the group of lovers.

"Sit, Minako!" Rei insisted. "There's plenty of room for all of us."

Minako glared at the one tiny spot left next to Makoto, trying to hold in the many emotions going through her.

 _If Motoki were here...HE'D be the one sitting there...And I'd have no where to sit._ Minako thought, her face showing every bit of evidence of what was running through her mind.

"You know what," Minako started. "I think that spot is meant for someone else."

Everyone looked at Minako confusedly.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about." She breathed, her eyes beginning to water.

"Besides, I... Um, have a lot of chores I forgot to do at home."

"Minako-" Before Ami could stop her, Minako was already on her way back to her house, leaving a trail of tears behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Stopping in front of her house, Minako roughly wiped her tears away and slowly inhaled. As she creaked the door open, she heard her parents arguing.

"As usual." She whispered to herself. "But this way, they won't notice me."

Minako carefully cracked the door a little more until she was able to slide through and lightly tip-toe her way past before running to her room.

"Safe." She breathed, slamming her stuff down and heading towards the shower.

After washing herself up and slipping into her night clothes, Minako let out an angry and frustrated groan and plopped on her bed. A little sniffle escaped from her nose, then a hiccup, and she was soon sobbing once again.

"Why..." She whispered to herself, calming down a bit. "Do I have to be the one who's alone?"

"But you're not alone." Came a voice from the window.

Minako, startled, gasped and lifted her head to the direction of the comment.

" **ARTEMIS!** " She exclaimed, grabbing the cat and holding him to her chest. "Where have you been?!"

Artemis pushed his paws away from Minako and pouted. "You didn't notice I was gone, did you. You forgot about me. _Again_."

Minako looked at Artemis, but didn't respond. Her eyes shone with so much sorrow that already gave him an idea of how to deal with her in this situation.

"You're not alone." He repeated, coming back to Minako and rubbing his head on her arms.

"Yes I am." She sighed. " _Romantically_ alone. Don't you remember Ace's declaration?"

"Ace?" Artemis questioned, bringing his head back up to look at Minako.

"Don't act like you don't remember him." Minako cleared her throat to put on a low man's voice. "' _Your love will be hopeless... for all eternity. Your duties will always come first._ '"

She fell backward on her bed and grabbed her tear stained pillow. "I just don't get it, Artemis. As far as I'm concerned, my 'duties' ended two years ago."

Artemis turned away and snickered. Minako slowly raised her head, her face burning in anger.

" _Ar-te-miss!_ " She seethed, throwing her bed sheet over the immature cat. "You know what I meant!"

Minako playfully attacked Artemis, causing him to laugh harder. She held him down with her legs and ruffled up his head, her mood softening up just looking at the cat's adorable smiling face.

"V-chan, you're heavy." He quietly muttered. Minako, about to get mad, grabbed a pillow to muffle Artemis, but released it and chuckled.

"True. Maybe I should stop visiting Usagi's house, her mother makes quite the tasty treats!" She admitted, patting her stomach. "You should know, going over to see Luna all the time."

Artemis blushed deeply and escaped Minako's head-locking legs. "I do not!" He protested childishly.

"Do too!" Minako teased, making kissy faces at the embarrassed feline. She stopped in mid taunt, thinking about the situation. _Even Artemis has a lover. I swear I'm the only loner in the world!_ She contemplated to herself.

Silence filled the room as the two fidgeted to take away the uncomfortable feeling they both felt in their stomach. The two flinch after hearing Minako's mother yell " **THAT'S IT, YOU'RE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH!** " and looked at each other, both briefly turning away afterwards. After soaking in deep thought, Minako scooted towards Artemis and stroked his fur.

"Arte?" She murmured.

"Yes, Mina?"

"If you-" Suddenly, Minako's door swung open, causing her to jump up and drop Artemis on the ground as he meowed in dissatisfaction.

"Minako?" Her mother walked in the room. "Who are you talking to? And why aren't you in bed?!"

Minako quickly grabbed her blanket. "Sorry, I was just-"

"Don't tell me you were talking with friends at this time of night." Her mother warned.

"No, no, not at all. I was just... Practicing... Asking people out?" Minako laughed nervously.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, the dance is coming up, and... Well, I just thought I'd practice!" Minako steadily bent down and picked up the hurting cat. "With Artemis!"

She awkwardly caressed the top of Artemis's head, causing him to hiss and send a mild scratch to Minako's arm. She shrieked, completely shocked and unnerved as her mother sighed in despair.

"Minako...You're hopeless. Now go to sleep." With that, her mother slammed the door shut. Before Minako could even move, her mother cracked the door open once again. "And please, no more 'practicing' on that poor cat. He's obviously not interested." She added, then finally left.

Minako, still in slight pain from the scratch, slowly looked down at her arm, then at Artemis. "I can't believe you." She grumbled.

"Sorry, I was just trying to be realistic." Artemis apologized, carefully stepping closer to Minako.

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring off into space.

"And mom calling me hopeless is realistic too, right?" She mumbled, trying to hold back tears.

"I'm probably never going to get a yes from... Well, _anyone_ I try to ask to the dance. I'm going to be alone forever, just like Ace said. My love is hopeless. _I'm_ hopeless."

Soon enough, tears starting trickling down Minako's face again.

"Come on, Mina. You've cried enough today. And you know that's not true. At least your friends know..." Artemis settled down on Minako's lap. "At least _I_ know." He comforted, slow licking her cut.

"How do you know I was crying so much?" Minako quietly quizzed, petting Artemis's ears.

"Because..."

"'Because?'"

"Because..." Artemis looked away in embarrassment. "Because I was watching you. The entire time, actually."

Artemis turned back to Minako, only to find her crazily grinning.

"What?" He asked.

"I don't know." Said Minako, picking Artemis up and holding him to her face.

"It just comforts me to know how much you care."

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming towards her room and quickly turned the lights off, jumped in her bed and closed her eyes, pretending she was asleep. When the noise got further away, Minako sat up to look at her partner one last time. "Artemis?" She started.

"Hm?"

"If you were a... _Human_ -"

"A _human?_ "

"Well, of course there's still Luna and Diana, but-"

"Where are you going with this?!"

"Just listen to me! If you were a human..." Minako paused and took a hard swallow, trying to carefully word the question she was about to ask.

"If you were a human... Would you love me?"

* * *

 **a/n: This is a tiny little authors note. I got a review saying that they won't read the story because they believe the Minako and Artemis pairing should never happen...Hun, no one is forcing you to read the story. If it's not your cup of tea, then don't drink it. Simple. Also, this story is meant to fit in the canon universe, meaning they wouldn't end up together in the end (no, that is not a spoiler, because again, it is meant to be canon). If you would've gave the rest of the story a chance, you'd find out how and why! But hey, like I said, no one's forcing you. 'Kay, that's all I wanted to say. For those of you that are actually reading the story, maybe leave some reviews that give some writing advice, or perhaps story suggestions? Ok, I'm now reading over this author's note and realizing...This is pretty long. Well, that's an aspiring writer for ya! Lol. Anyway, make sure to keep updated with my story, and remember to not drink a cup of tea if you don't like it! You might gag, and I don't want you to suffer :( With that note, bye-bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

"I...D-don't understand." Artemis stuttered, a slight blush glowing from his face. "I already love you, what's being a human going to change?"

Minako smiled and looked away, hiding her deep red cheeks. "I didn't mean it like that..." She mumbled. "I meant if you were a human...Would you be..."

"'Would I be?'..." Artemis repeated back slowly.

Minako inhaled and puffed her chest in confidence.

"...Would you be in love with me?" She rapidly blurted as she cringed in preparation of Artemis's reaction.

"Wha!-" Artemis freaked, tumbling out the bed.

"Shhh!" Minako hushed, picking him up and placing him back. Minako could tell that he was unprepared for such a question.

"Artemis, it's simple. Like I said, of course there's no forgetting Luna and Diana, but if you were a human, I feel like-"

"Minako, I-"

"-You'd be my lover!" As soon as Artemis heard those very words, he paused, in more of a daze then anything else.

"I know it's a weird and sudden question, but we've been partners longer than even Luna and Usagi. We've grown so close that you can tell what I'm feeling just by looking at me. We know each other more than we even know ourselves. It's just that-"

"Minako... I know where your coming from." Artemis conceded.

"...Really?"

"Yes, but... I'm a cat, and you're a human."

"I've _established_ that, Artemis!" Minako stated in indignant frustration. "But _what if-_ "

"There are no 'what ifs' Minako. The only times I've ever been a human was during the Silver- I mean when you were awakened as Super Sailor Venus. It'll never happen again, I'm sure." Artemis concluded, turning his head away from Minako.

"How would you know?" Minako inquired. "We have so much more ahead of us. Out of all the stuff I've seen so far, I know that anything can happen." She gazed up at the ceiling, grabbing her blanket. "Including miracle romance."

Artemis stared in awe at Minako, bewildered on how strong and bright the girl can dream.

 _She just won't give up, will she. On love. No wonder she's the princess of Venus._ Artemis thought. _And it's not just because of how strikingly... Beautiful she is._

Artemis blushed at his thoughts, unaware of his surroundings for a moment.

"...Artemis? Are you okay?" Minako asked in concern. But Artemis didn't respond. All he saw was his princess's frowning face in front of him, thinking about nothing but her ocean blue eyes and her golden hair.

 _If only I was able to look down on those eyes... And stroke that gorgeous-_

" _Artemis!_ " Minako snapped him out of his trance. "Are you even listening?"

Artemis rapidly shook his head to get himself refocused and put his serious face back on. "Minako...I'm happy that you have high hopes, bright dreams, and believe in 'miracle romance'." Artemis acknowledged. "But... To ask _me_ such a question? Maybe I think you're getting a little... Desperate."

Suddenly, Minako's face went blank as she tightened her grip on her blanket. "... _Desperate_?" She quietly repeated. Silence filled the room once again as Artemis started to worry.

 _Uh-oh... Did I word my sentence right? I hope I didn't hurt Minako... I couldn't bare to live knowing that I possibly crushed the dream of love for someone as important to me as her. Please, my Mina, understand..._

"I... Can't believe you think I'm... Desperate." Minako choked, her hands starting to tremble.

Artemis shook his head and stepped closer. "No, Minako, please-"

" _ **SHUT UP!**_ You've already spoken your mind. And apparently, I _**AM**_ a hopeless girl who's so desperate for love that she'd be willing to ask the one _'_ companion _'_ of her life that she _**KNOWS**_ she'd never love!"

As soon as Minako spoke those words, she knew she'd regret it.

"Mina..." Artemis murmured, slowly backing up, his eyes watering over.

"Just... Go sleep somewhere else tonight, Artemis. On the couch, Usagi's house, Ami's house, I don't care." She laid down, turning the other direction. "Just away from me."

Artemis, obviously heartbroken, hopped off the bed and walked towards the door with his ears down.

As he looked back at Minako, he realized she was hiccuping and softly crying on her pillow once again, and that's when his very own tears started to flow.

* * *

 **a/n: Hey hey hey! Another little note from the author! And I promise it'll be short this time, trust me. I'm just here to tell ya that I also have a WattPad! My account is Galsaxy (JupiterHomeBiscuit), so make sure to follow me on there as well! 'Kay, that's all I wanted to say! Told ya it was going to be short this time. Bye-bye! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Artemis trudged down the stairs, dragging his tail and lowering his head. "Gee, I knew Minako could be sensitive." He whispered to himself. "But I didn't know one word like 'desperate' would cause such a stir."

Artemis gently stepped towards the couch, only to hear loud snoring noises from Minako's dad and walk away.

After some strolling around, he finally found a spot on the carpet to slumber. However, Artermis just couldn't stop thinking about Minako, and ended up twisting and turning on the floor.

 _How can I possibly fall asleep after leaving Mina in such a state?_ Artemis thought.

He got up to walk to the window and carefully hopped on the ledge against it. "If only..." He gazed to the stars. "If... Only someone were there to comfort her." He lowered his ears, still staring at the night sky.

"If only _I_ were there to comfort her. The _right_ way." He put his head down, holding back what he sworn were more tears until-

"So you want to be human?" A sudden voice startled him. He didn't know who it was, or where it came from, but he couldn't pass such a sudden opportunity.

"...Yes. I _do._ " He answered, wincing when he heard Minako's father make a noise and move in his sleep.

"Then come out. I will help you." The voice responded with assurance. At first, Artemis would do anything for such an offer. But now he was actually _thinking_.

"Who... Are you?" He whispered suspiciously. He could hear an exasperated sigh come from the mysterious voice.

"Does that matter? I'm giving you an offer that I'm pretty sure no cat in the world has ever gotten. You come outside, and I will be able to make your wish come true."

Artemis hopped off the ledge and swayed his tail slowly. "What's the catch?" He asked.

Another exasperated sigh.

"I will give you all of the details as soon as you **COME OUT!** " The voice exclaimed.

"Alright, alright." Artemis replied, looking for a way to exit the house without causing commotion. After examining the front door and going from closed window to closed window, Artemis plopped on the middle of the floor and closed his eyes.

"Look, there _is_ no way out. Can't this wait until morning? I've been tossing and turning most of the night. I'm just... Worried about her." He mumbled sadly.

"We can wait..." the voice replied. "But you never know if I'll change my mind by then."

Artemis opened one eye, then slowly rose up once again. _Man, what is WITH this guy? And just who IS he? And why isn't his voice waking anybody up? Is it even a him?_

So many questions were racing through Artemis's head that he was beginning to think it was all just a dream. Minako's dad grunts in his sleep, causing Artemis to flinch out of his thoughts.

"Well...The only way out is through Minako's window." Artemis suggested. "Let's just hope deep sleeping runs in the family. Although I should know that by now, laying next to her all these years."

" **HUH?! WHO'S THERE?!** " Minako's father suddenly jumped up from the couch, his bloodshot eyes staring directly at Artemis. Intense silence filled the room as Minako's dad continued to stare, and as Artemis continued to tremble.

"How _dare_ you steal gumdrops from the candy bank? In the name of lollipops, **I WILL PUNISH YOU!** "

Minako's father plops back down on the couch and snores away as Artemis lets out a giant sigh of relief.

He walked towards Minako's room, yet hesitantly slows down as he faces her door. "I don't know about this." Artemis mumbled, highly unsure of himself. "I don't want to wake her up and cause another scene."

"This is for the good of her." The voice whispered, appearing to be in the direction of Minako's room. "She needs to be comforted by someone close to her. The _right_ way. Correct?"

Artemis slowly raised his head up in determination and nodded. "Right." He agreed, then he opened the door with his paws and carefully stepped inside, trying his best not to-

"Hello?" Groaned groggy Minako with her eyes still closed.

Artemis sighed in defeat and hopped on her bed. "Artemis, is that you?" Minako asked, reaching out to hug him. "Look... I'm really sorry about my outburst earlier. I was just lovesick at the moment, and-"

"No, no, it's alright."

"Are you sure?

"Yeah, Mina, it's fine." Artemis assured, trying to break from Minako's grasp, but couldn't seem to get her to let go.

"Why are you struggling, Arte? I'm not mad at you anymore. Come sleep with me." Minako soothingly stroked Artemis's head, causing him to purr and close his eyes.

 _Oh, my darling Mina...GAH! Snap out of it, Artemis!_ He thought to himself.

He rapidly shook his head and looked out the window. "Well, I'd love too, but I'm afraid I-"

"Why are you looking out the window? Were you planning to go somewhere?" Minako's soft and tired expression slowly turned into a mischievous smirk. "Usagi's house, I bet. To visit Luna. This late at night? I see how it is. Shame on you, Artemis." Minako shook her pointer finger in the air while tsking at Artrmis, making him blush.

 _Just go with it._

"Uh...Yeah! Heh heh, off to visit Luna! _This_ time at night! What a rascal I am!" Artemis slipped out of Minako's hands and slowly backed up. She chuckled lightly and pulled the covers back over her shoulders.

"Well...Alright. But good luck trying not to get Luna mad after waking her up!"

Artemis's face flushed once again, surprised Minako let him go so easy. "You... You really mean it?" Artemis asked, awkwardly looking down and moving his paw side to side.

"Of course I do." Minako quietly responded, gently closing her eyes to get ready to return back to sleep. "I am the Goddess of Love after all."

Artemis smiled lovingly, gazing upon Minako's beautiful figure as she quickly slipped back into silent slumber. Turning back at the window, his smile faded as he shut his eyes in sincere remorse.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Mina." He whispered. "But it's been said. It's for your own good."

With that, Artemis sneaked out the window to finally approach the mysterious voice that gave him an offer that might just change Artemis and Minako's relationship forever.


	6. Chapter 6

Artemis looked down, then looked up, hoping that the mysterious voice he was hearing wasn't just his imagination all this time.

" _Pssst_ , over hear!" The voice whispered towards the roof. Artemis sighed in relief and hopped up towards the top of the house. On his way up, his paw slipped, and he would've fell far down to the concrete ground if it wasn't for a sudden hand that brought the terrified cat into safety and on to the roof.

" _Dah_ \- wh-who are you?" Artemis stuttered, still unnerved from his recent near-death experience. The figure appeared to be a guy in a black cape with a hood covering his face.

"That is for me to know, and for you..." He paused in the middle of his sentence, holding his finger up towards Artemis. "To never know."

"But... How do I know I can trust you if I don't even know your identity?" Artemis questioned, becoming more and more suspicious of the mysterious voice that apparently belonged to the annonomys man before him.

"That's not what you should be worried about." The man said. "I thought the entire reason you, the apparently smarter-than-average pet, longed to be a human was so you could comfort your precious owner."

Artemis frowned at his statement. "She's not my owner, and I'm _not_ her pet." He seethed.

The man chuckled, amused at the anger the cat can hold. "Well...Pardon me. Would you mind clearing up your relationship status for me, then?" He scoffed.

Artemis looked down in deep thought.

"Well..." He started.

"'Well?'" The man repeated.

Confidently, Artemis turned to the stars. "She and I...We are a part of each other. We've been partners for who knows how long and have gone through thick in thin, the tough and rough, from happy and full of joy experiences to dark and near death. Although she might tease me and I might scold her, we're still the most inseparable pair. Without me there'd only be half of her, and without her there would only be half of me. We share the same mind. We're... _Connected_. Linked together. And nobody can ever change that. Nothing can ever come between us." Artemis passionately declared as he turned back to the mysterious man. "Is that good enough for you?"

The man bent down towards Artemis. "How...Beautiful." He whispered. Artemis blushed, looking away in slight embarrassment. "It's one amazing thing for a cat to be able to speak, but I didn't know you wrote _poetry_ too!"

Artemis angrily frowned upon the man as he started chuckling. "Are you going to turn me into a human or not?!" Artemis fumed. The man chortled to himself again, continuing to be amused on how aggravated the cat can get.

"Alright, alright Mr. Touchy. No wonder that girl teases you so much, you're pretty easy to tick off!" Said the man, causing Artemis to roll his eyes.

The man rose his hands as a blue, shinning light shimmered from the tip of his fingers. Artemis, anxious and excited, closed his eyes and walked towards the man before hearing the power from his hands began to simmer down. "Oh, how can I forget?!" He exclaimed, tapping his head lightly. "We need to go over the rules and requirements!"

As Artemis heard those words, he felt as if smoke were spraying out of his ears in pure rage.

"Rule number one, you shall not reveal your true identity to your own- Excuse me, ' _partner'_ or anybody else that knows you're a talking cat."

"But how will I-"

"Rule number two, you shall not excessively expose yourself to the public. Whether on a magazine or on the news, _anything_ to get you out there is unallowed. It will bring too much attention to yourself, and who _knows_ how many people would recognize you."

"But she's a-"

"And last but not least, the third and most important rule of all, _you shall not fall in love with this girl._ You're only allowed to _comfort_ her, but falling in love with her as well as her returning romantic feelings for you will forever distort your destined future and result in your **PERMANENT** human state. Now, is that what you want?"

"But-"

" **IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?!** "

"No! No, of course not." Artemis sheepishly agreed. "I'm actually planning to start a small family once Usagi and Mamoru get crowned- I mean somewhere... In the future. But 'this girl' is my family too. How could I possibly comfort her the right way if she doesn't even know who I really am?"

The man walked closer and bent down, causing Artemis to slowly back away. "If there are going to be this many 'complications', don't you think its a little risky to do this after all?" He quietly inquired. Artemis rapidly shook his head in protest.

"Alright then." The man put his hands up in front of Artemis as the spinning blue ball of light flickered within his fingertips once again.

"You have exactly one month to spend as a human being. You will be provided with your own apartment and get the income of one hundred dollars every week to survive and live on your own. Please don't let this be a waste of your time and mine."

"W-w-wait, _one month_ -" But before Artemis can even get another word out, his limbs grew longer, his face was changing, and his species was morphing from cat to human.


	7. Chapter 7

Minako yawned, stretching her arms out and smacking her lips as she lazily scratched her head.

"Artemis, I had the weirdest dream." She said. "It sounded similar to your voice, but it was a man declaring of how the two of us were connect-" Before finishing her sentence, Minako realized she was starting a conversation with an empty spot on her bed.

"Oh...Right." Minako remembered. "He's at Usagi's. I guess Luna didn't mind his company, if ya know what I mean." Minako chuckled inwardly at her...rather strange statement and slipped on a casual outfit to walk outside. She looked at the mirror and turned around, finding a giant ball of fur stuck to the back of her jeans.

"That cat. I swear..." After re-checking her entire outfit for any more fur balls, she headed towards the bathroom to freshen up for the morning.

 _"C'est la vie! Watashi ga watashi de iru kagiri!"_ Minako merrily sang one of her popular Sailor V singles as she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. Before finally leaving, Minako took a quick glance at the clock and yelped.

"Twelve o'clock PM?!" She squawked. "How tired _was_ I?!"

Minako walked out of her bedroom, not even acknowledging her loudly snoring dad on the couch as she darted out the door. At first she was casually strolling down the sidewalk, but for some reason, she felt the need to jog.

 _Don't want Artemis to think I forgot him again!_ Minako thought. _Besides, I need the exercise!_

When she finally arrived at Usagi's house, Minako poked at the doorbell and knocked on the door multiple times, anxious for a reason she didn't know. After a few seconds, a boy opened the door and looked up at Minako.

"Ah, hello Shingo!" Minako greeted, looking over his shoulder. "Is Usagi here?"

"Yeah, she's-"

"Let me rephrase that. Is Luna here?"

"Um...Yeah, she's-"

"With Artemis?"

"Wha- Artemis?" The boy was getting confused and rather annoyed at the fidgety blonde in front of him.

"I'm...I'm sorry." Minako apologized, lightly tapping herself on the head. "How about I start over. Have you seen a white cat with greenish-blue eyes and a crescent moon spot on his head, similar to Luna's?"

Shingo cocked his head. "Yeah...Around." He slowly answered. Minako smiled and relaxed the tension in her body.

"...But not as of yesterday or today, if that's what you mean." Shingo continued.

Bothered and impatient, Minako walked closer to the door.

"Can I just see Usagi please?"

Before the boy could respond, Usagi walked down the stairs and towards the front door to where her best friend stood.

"Oh, Minako! Was Shingo here causing you trouble?" Usagi insinuated, glancing at her younger brother.

"She's all yours!" Shingo lazily declared, walking back in the house with his hands behind his head.

"Nah. I guess you can say he was being himself." Minako responded with a chuckle. Usagi chuckled along with her, happy she had a friend that understood her pain.

"So what brings you here?" She asked after she calmed down her laughing.

"Well..." Minako started. She didn't want to embarrass herself by seeming too motherly and overprotective when it came to Artemis, so Minako thought long and hard about what she was about to say.

"I just wanted to know if- **AH, LUNA!** " Minako shoved Usagi out of the door to reach the sleepy-eyed black cat walking towards them.

"So how was your...Night?" Minako asked, rapidly winking and moving her eyebrows up and down.

"Uh... Good I guess?" Luna slowly replied, weirded out by Minako's strange and random facial expressions.

"How was your...Company?" Minako continued as she enhanced her winking and eyebrow movements.

"Um..." Luna was now frowning, getting a little concerned about where this was going. Minako let out a sigh of frustration.

" _Artemis!_ How did you like Artemis?! Artemis, Artemis, **ARTEMIS!** " Minako yelled at the cat, causing silence to fill the house.

" **EHHHHH?!** " Usagi suddenly popped out of the door after being absent for whatever reason. "You didn't tell me Artemis gave you a little visit, Luna? Wow, may I say, I'm impressed. He's a pretty good sneaker-inner. And to think I slept through that, darn it!" Usagi pouted as she puffed her cheeks.

"Usagi, you sleep through everything." Luna deadpanned.

"True!" Usagi admitted, her famous trademark laugh following afterwards.

"So...Where is he?" Minako proceeded, looking up the stairs.

"Minako...I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." Luna said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Minako, starting to fidget from nervousness again. "He climbed out of my bedroom window and told me he was coming here to pay you a midnight visit!"

As Luna shook her head, Minako could feel the cold sweat trickle down her face and neck as chills ran down her spine. "Then...H-he must've... He c-couldn't have..."

"Lied to you and went somewhere else?" Usagi finished.

Minako rapidly turned around, her bangs whipping her face. "B-b-but where could he be?! What if he got lost somewhere in the streets?!" Minako stammered. She slowly turned around, her eyes twinkling with fear and terror. "What if he..."

"Minako. Don't stress yourself on this. It's probably not even that serious." Luna assured, walking towards Minako and looking up at her.

"Y-you're not worried, Luna?!" She asked, surprised that even Luna wasn't concerned for her future husband. Luna shook her head.

"If he were to be fatally injured or something serious enough to disturb daily life, do you think Diana would be so safe and sound in the future, let alone exist at all?" She inquired.

Minako felt her fingers loosen as she slowly settled down. "You're right, Luna. I don't know why I'm so worked up about this! I'm sure he's... Just...Fine." Minako breathed before her face suddenly shifted from partially worried to passionately determined. "But we're still looking for him. **EVERYWHERE WE CAN!** " Minako sternly demanded. Her booming voice echoed throughout the entire house as Ikuko drearily yet hastily headed towards the noise.

"What on earth is going on here-" Ikuko stopped as she saw a frowning blonde with her fist up in the air. "Why, I didn't know we had company-"

"Gotta go, Mom!" Usagi hurriedly rushed out the door, returned to kiss Ikuko on the cheek, then dashed out again.

When Minako was this determined, it was known that everyone in thought will be dragged in the situation in someway. And those people were the inner Sailor Senshi.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Minako shouted after gathering all of her friends together in the park. "I've already explained to you the mission, so now it's time to take action!" Everybody was in a straight line, either standing up tall in attention or getting distracted by a cute boy down the street.

"Makoto Kino! Eyes up here!" Minako flicked Makoto's head, making her flinch back in place. "I'm the only one allowed to stare at cute boys; I'm the only one without a boyfriend!" Minako declared matter-of-factly.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, as the leader of the Sailor Senshi, it's my duty to-" Minako stopped mid-sentence, highly irritated at Usagi's immaturity as she quietly snickered at the word 'duty'.

"-duty to take a stand and give orders- shut up, Usagi! What are you, four?! And can't you see I'm trying to give a speech?!" Minako murmured to Usagi in her regular voice.

"Right. Sorry, sorry." Usagi apologized.

"You know what... Forget this soldier stance thing. It's tiring me out." Minako admitted. "Let's just look for Artemis as hard as we can, okay?" Everyone looked at each other, then back at Minako as they all nodded in agreement.

"Everywhere you can possibly think of, guys!" She reminded as they all went their separate ways.

"Artemis..." Minako whispered to herself. "You are in _such_ big trouble."

* * *

 **a/n:** **For those of you who were confused at the "C'est la vie" part, it's the lyrics for an actual song sung by Sailor Venus/Minako Aino from the live action version of Sailor Moon titled "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon" or "PGSM" for short. Although most anime/manga fans of Sailor Moon might cringe at the thought of a live action, it's actually quite brilliant and well written, and I recommend it for any Sailor Moon fan! And also, I know that some of the jokes in my fanfic probably won't translate to Japanese, so let's just pretend it's one of those substitute jokes you see in subbed anime for a joke that was lost in translation. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say for now! Make sure to favorite and leave review so I can make my fanfic even better!  
Fan communication is important, you know. 'Kay, bye-bye! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

Minako slowly stepped in a creepy, narrow alleyway.

"A-Alright..." She stuttered. "W-where would a talking male cat sneak off to..." Minako heard loud meowing noises towards the end of the alleyway and shrieked.

"What if that's Artemis?! What if he's in danger?!" Minako whispered to herself before running towards the hissing cat noises. As she got closer to the end, she saw a white cat getting picked on by a couple of boys about Shingo's age.

"Take the bandage off!"

"Yeah, yank it off! It doesn't suit the ugly thing!"

"Wait, guys, wouldn't that hurt him?"

"He's- _it_ is a cat! _It_ doesn't have any feelings!" Minako almost moaned in disgust as she got closer and closer to the troubling pre-teens. When she finally reached them, she stomped her foot down hard on the ground and folded her arms.

"And what do _you_ guys think you're doing?" Minako barked. The gang of boys stared at her in utter silence before bursting out in laughter.

"I'll give you something to laugh about!" Minako creepily seethed... In her mind.

 _Man, do I wish I was more open about my feelings like Usagi!_ She thought.

"You think you're so tough?" The obvious 'leader of the pack' sneered. "Why don't you come closer and ask me again, to my face! Shouldn't you stop worrying about us and go find someone your own size to worry about, ya old maid! I ain't scared of you!" Minako clenched her fist at the boy's second insult, but felt her tense body relax and a smirk rise within as she spotted a familiar figure coming her way.

"Oh really?" A deep and intimidating voice boomed from behind the boys as they slowly turned and looked up with terror in their eyes. "Then maybe someone else her size can scare ya into shape." There standing high and mighty was Makoto as she punched her fist into her rough hands, her knuckles crackling in the process.

"We better scram, guys!"

"Yeah, let's get outta here!" And within a flash, the group of boys sprinted away in the distance, leaving a poor white cat growling in anger as he thumped on the sidewalk. Minako gasped and grabbed the cat, petting his ears and shushing his meows of discontent.

" _Shh, shh,_ don't worry." Minako soothed. "You'll get your powers back as soon as I remove this bandage!" Makoto silently watched, hoping the results wouldn't leave Minako in tears. Her and everyone else couldn't locate Artemis either, and Minako, although she wouldn't admit it, was slowly starting to loose hope. She rapidly removed the bandage and smiled, only for it to slowly fade away as she saw the cat's bare, crescent-less forehead.

"I'm sorry, Minako." Makoto comforted, bending down to where Minako was with her knees on the ground. "Even after you sent us out again, we still couldn't find Artemis. Not even Luna." Minako just stared blankly at the sidewalk as the cat meowed once more before dashing away.

"T-that's fine." Minako quietly stammered. "I g-guess you can go ahead and find the others now. W-We've been searching for such a long time... I wouldn't want to put you guys through so much t-trouble just to-"

"We'll go through whatever trouble comes our way. As long as we're a help to you, Minako." Makoto soothed as she tightly squeezed her friend. Her companionship was very comforting, yet Minako still felt as if her heart was about to rip apart. Makoto realized this as she looked at Minako's saddened expression.

"Hey..." She said as she gently lifted up Minako's face. "Even if Artemis did sneak out and got lost somewhere, I know you guys will find each other somehow." Minako tilted her head and frowned.

"How do you know?" She asked.

Makoto shrugged in response as she stood, bringing Minako up with her. "I'm not sure... It's almost as if you two are... _Connected_." Minako felt chills go all throughout her body as she heard Makoto's sentence. It wasn't only because of how confident Makoto was about the statement, but the _words_. It was the words that caught her attention the most.

 _Those words..._ Minako thought.

 _We...Us...Connected. Where did I hear that from? Why does that sound so... Familiar?_

"Minako? You okay?"

"Huh?" Makoto smiled as Minako snapped back into reality after a brief gaze. "I told you, everything's going to be alright. No need to worry. I promise." Makoto put her hand on Minako's shoulder.

"Promise?" Minako whispered. Makoto put her other hand on her other shoulder.

" **PROMISE.** " Makoto repeated with more assurance. "Anyway, I'm going back to find the others. Coming?" Minako thought about it for a second, then shook her head.

"I'll catch up." She said with a small, unconvincing smile. Makoto gave her a long and caring stare before slowly turning around and running across the street.

" **MAKOTO!** " Minako called out to her friend mid-way across the road. Makoto safely stepped on the other side before turning around. " **THANK YOU!** " Minako yelled as she waved happily with a more believable grin on her face. Makoto smiled back before heading towards the turn of the sidewalk.

Once she was out of sight, Minako immediately felt as if her heart were in pieces once again.

"Oh, Artemis..." Minako whispered to herself as she began trudging across the street. "I wish I could see you right no-" Her longing declarations were suddenly interrupted as she was forcefully pushed to the side of a honking car. Shocked and worried people were now glaring at her and a man lying on the street. Disoriented, Minako drearily looked up at the traffic light.

"The light was...it was green." She whispered. "And you?" She slowly turned her head towards the man who pushed her out of the way of an incoming car.

"You saved my- hey, what are you doing?!" Minako quickly shifted from grateful to cautious as she felt herself getting picked up by the man.

"Ya know, I didn't get hit, I'm not injured, I can walk myse- **PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!** " As the man carried her further, Minako's pounding on his back got harder and fiercer. Surprisingly, everybody around them slowly and quietly watched as the man carried a screaming Minako away to a nearby alleyway, quickly returning to their daily lives as if nothing happened afterwards.

"If you don't put me down, I will whip you with my chain of...Very **INFURIATED** love! Don't you know who I am?! I am Minako Aino, and I can kick your- _gah!_ " Minako's ranting was briefly interrupted as the man casually plopped her on the ground.

"Hey, theres this thing called 'manners'! Yeah, you should look into some research!" Minako continued. "And seriously, what kind of hero saves a damsel in distress, carries her across the street and drops her in a nearby alleyway?!" Minako folded her arms and looked up.

"Although I don't usually like to refer me- or _any_ girl for that matter- as a 'damsel in distress.' It makes us sound-"

"Weak?" The man finished. Minako nodded, refusing to face him.

"Well...Yeah. As if-"

"As if females are just helpless beings who can't save or look out for themselves?" The man finished once again. "Yeah...I know."

Minako's angry expression relaxed as she slowly turned to finally look at the man. "Wow... That was... _Exactly_ what I was going to say." She admitted as she carefully walked towards him. "Do I know you?"

"No, of-of course not! W-we just met, remember!" The man protested as he put his hands up and kept his head low.

"Then why are you keeping your head down? Not to contradict myself, but I want to look upon the face of my rescuer!" Minako bent down to look at the man's face, but he put his head up. So...Minako jumped up to where his head was, but he just lowered his head again. The two play this game a few more times before Minako finally grabs his face to meet with hers. As soon as Minako laid eyes upon him, she was immediately entranced by his incredible beauty.

 _There's something very...Interesting about this man._ Minako thought. _And it's not just his indescribably handsome features._

As they both stared into each others twinkling eyes, Minako's hands softened on his face as she traced along to his forehead. The man gulped as she gently moved his bangs away.

"There are...Bandages." Minako choked out. "T-two of them... On your forehead."

Silence rose between them before the man suddenly cleared his throat.

"Oh, those? That's just to cover up a cut... I got... From... Sports. Yeah. Sports. Very embarrassing, actually." Minako swiftly lowered her hands.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me." Silence rose between them once again.

 _I know it's a zero out of a trillion chance..._ Thought Minako. _But in this situation, I'm feeling incredibly...Incredibly..._

"Desperate!" Minako accidentally spewed out loud.

The man glanced at Minako, confused of her sudden out burst.

"I'm sorry..." She turned back to him. "I've lost a very close and important friend of mine, and I've been searching all over the city for him." The man just looked at Minako, not sure how to respond or react. "It's a very complicated situation to explain, but you somehow...Remind me of him. It's incredibly unlikely, but I'm beginning to feel... _desperate_ enough."

The man smiled, suddenly seeming understanding of Minako's situation.

"...May I?" Minako politely asked as she rose her hands to place on the man's forehead once again. The man looked away for a brief moment grimacing, apparently very nervous and apprehensive for what's about to happen.

"I understand...You may." He quietly replied.

Minako nodded in appreciation as she slowly removed the bandages from the man's forehead. Soon enough, her entire body went numb as sweat trickled down her face. Gasping for air, Minako clumsily backed up, tripping over her own feet and covering her mouth with her hands in astonishment.

"A c-c-crescent moon spot..." She stuttered as her knees went weak. " **A-A-A-ARTEMIS?!** "


	9. Chapter 9

"A-A-A-Artemis?!" Minako repeated as she slowly slid down the wall. Artemis shrugged his shoulders with his hands up.

"... _Meow?_ "

Minako smiled, then giggled, and before she knew it was laughing hysterically.

"Artemis, it really _is_ you!" She exclaimed as she got up to hug Artemis. As Minako wrapped her hands around him, Artemis chuckled and spun her around.

"B-but how? When? _Why_ -?" Artemis put his finger on Minako's lips to shush her.

"That's for me to know, and for you..." He raised his finger to tap her nose. "To never know."

Minako frowned and let go of her friend, turning around to pace back and forth.

"But there has to be some reason. Somehow. _Someway_." She stopped in front of Artemis. "Right?" Artemis smiled and hugged Minako once more.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head." He said. "The only thing that matters is that I get to spend time with you. And comfort you. The _right_ way."

Minako looked up into Artemis's eyes and blushed. "Wow...You really mean it?" Artemis nodded and smiled softly back at Minako, his face turning a little red as well.

"Well, in that case..." Minako whispered, leaning into Artemis, who's cheeks were now blood scarlet.

"Let's talk about how incredibly handsome you are!" She finished, slapping Artemis's chest. "I mean, sure I thought about it when you awakened me as Super Sailor Venus, but now that I'm _really_ getting a good glance at at you..." Minako continued to stare at Artemis, her finger on her chin.

"Uh-oh..." Artemis breathed. "I know that look..."

Minako giggled and grabbed Artemis's hands. "Artemis?" She started eagerly. "I have a favor to ask you."

"For the third thousandth time Minako, **NO!** " Artemis huffed, rapidly walking down the street.

"But Artemis, I'm one of the only popular teen girl idols without a boyfriend!" She whined.

Artemis rolled his eyes. "Minako, that's a lie, and you _know_ it is."

" _Heh_ , says the one who lied about going to Usagi's house."

Artemis stopped mid-walk to face Minako. "Now wait just a minute-"

"Artemis, save the scolding for when you're a cat again." Minako grumbled, holding her hand up to his face. "Now that you're a human, you get to spend more time with me. The _right_ way. You said it yourself!" The two started strolling again, with Minako walking backwards to face Artemis. "And what's a better way of doing so than posing as my celebrity boyfriend?"

Artemis quickly moved Minako out the way before she bumped into a woman passing by and made her walk next to him.

"Number one Minako, pretending to be something I'm not in a fake relationship isn't really that much bonding." He stated matter-of-factly. "And number two, I said I wanted to _comfort_ you the right way. There's a diff-" Before Artemis could continue, Minako stopped walking and put her arm up in front of Artemis to stop him as well.

"Artemis, follow me." She instructed hastily. Not waiting for a response, Minako pulled Artemis into a nearby store and put sunglasses on the two of them. She looked out of the window and waited for a teenage boy and girl who were both eating ice cream to pass by, then let out a sigh of relief and turned back to Artemis.

" _Oooh_ , those sunglasses look good on you! I'll buy it, I have money." Minako chirped as she disorderly scrounged her purse for her wallet.

"What was that all about?" Artemis asked as Minako took the glasses off of him.

"Well, you know that dance I always talk about?"

"Uh-huh. All you ever speak about is that dance. In fact, you never seem to think about anything el-"

"I didn't ask for anymore of your input, Artemis." Minako snapped as she grabbed another pair of sunglasses from the shelf to try on. "Anyway, it turns out that he's the guy I want to ask. I didn't want to be seen walking with you because he might think that you're my boyfriend and not even consider me at all."

She posed at the small mirror hanging on the sunglass shelf and smiled as she took it off. "This. _This_ is beach worthy." Artemis rolled his eyes at Minako's inability to pay attention to one thing at a time.

"So what's his name?" Artemis quizzed, looking out the window to see if the teenage boy was still in sight. Minako dreamily sighed as she twirled her hair.

"His name is Katsuo. In which one of the translations for his name means 'manly'. How his parents foretold the future like that, I'll never know. Because that's exactly what he is." Minako sighed once more as she giggled and bit her bottom lip, obviously infatuated with the boy. Artemis, feeling awkward and uncomfortable, felt the need to change the subject, but his curiosity took the best of him.

"But what about that girl Katsuo was walking with?" He asked.

"Oh... _Her_." Minako snorted in disgust. "Aimi. _Ugh_. Even her name is a mockery of my being." Minako scoffed, crossing her arms and pouting childishly. "That boy crazy hog. I couldn't be caught seen with you in _her_ presence because she just takes the most attractive guy she sees. Which, for now, is Katsuo, but...If she saw you..." Minako stared at Artemis for another long moment. " _Pfft_ , you're beyond good looking." Artemis blushed and put his hand behind his neck as Minako smiled. "Now come on, let's buy these sunglasses!"

Minako walked to the check out counted and placed down the two pairs of shades she chose. The cashier lazily checked both of them as she typed the prices on the computer.

"That'll _beee_ \- the hottest guy I've ever seen in my entire life." The cashier gushed as she finally looked up, only to lay eyes upon Artemis's attractive appearance.

"Excuse me?" Minako asked. "The price is what?"

"The price is **RIGHT**."

"Come again?"

" _Priceless_."

"Um, may you please just give me the price of these sunglasses so I can pay?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry, you meant the price of your _sunglasses!_ "

Minako confusedly frowned upon the woman. "Um...Yeah. What else would I be talking abou-"

"I'm so sorry, but what shampoo do you use? And your muscles, my goodness! How many times do you work out a day to get _those_ pithons?! And not to mention your cheekbones and highly defined jawline. Girls would definitely line up for _that!_ " The cashier babbled.

Artemis chuckled and thanked the woman as Minako grew more inpatient and annoyed.

"And are you a model? Most likely, looking like that down the street would get yourself a ready agent and front cover of a magazine. The only out of place feature I notice is that unusual crescent looking tatoo on your forehead. But that aside..." The cashier flipped her hair and sat on the check out counter seductively. "Are you single?"

Minako growled to herself and gulped before returning to her nice, innocent attitude.

"Sorry, I'm afraid not." She answered as she grabbed Artemis's arm. "We're together, and we have been for a long... **LOOONG** time now." Minako exaggerated. "In fact, our anniversary was just last week! Right my dashing, darling, everlastingly amazing love?"

"Y-yes my...Sweetie." Artemis sheepishly replied as Minako inwardly smacked her face in frustration. The cashier forced a smile and chuckled.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting such a girl like you to be with such a guy like _him._ There's just so much... _Contrast_ , ya know?" Minako was now seething in anger, the rush being similar to the feeling she gets when she's about to transform.

"Well, opposites attract, am I right?" Minako choked out, followed by an intentionally fake laugh.

"Well, we'll be leaving now. Those sunglasses weren't fit for my- I mean _our_ style anyway. Ba-bye now!" And before the cashier could get the next reaction, Minako was pulling Artemis out of the store and sprinting towards her house.

"Minako, not so hard!" Artemis yelled as he tugged away, unable to break free of Minako's grip.

"Sorry, I just need to get you home as fast as I can!"

"Why?"

"Well, if we're going to have to deal with those kind of encounters everywhere we go..." Minako turned to look at Artemis and put her hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "...Then I can't let you out of the house."

" **WHAT?!** "


	10. Chapter 10

When Minako and Artemis reached the house, Minako raised her hand to knock on the door.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Artemis whispered harshly. "You don't want your parents to find me out, do you?" Minako turned around with her finger on her chin.

"You're right." She tapped her chin lightly, looking around to find a way to sneak Artemis inside. After a while of pondering, Minako felt a light bulb switch on in her head as she suddenly snapped in eureka.

"That's it!" She exclaimed.

"What's it?" Artemis plainly asked. Minako turned back around to Artemis.

"Artemis, you can climb, right?"

He unsurely looked down at his human arms and legs and put a hand behind his head.

"I-I think so?"

"Great! Here's what we're gonna do..."

"Almost there...Almost there..." Minako croaked, pulling a distressed and stuck Artemis through her bedroom window. With a final pull, Artemis plopped on top of Minako's bed, inhaling and exhaling heavily.

"Never...Doing...That...Again." He breathed. Minako frowned and folded her arms as she childishly pouted.

"But Arte! How am I supposed to sneak you in and out of the house?!" Artemis shifted to sit towards the edge of the bed.

"I'm no longer a cat, Mina. I can't...Fit through very small places anymore. And besides, you said you couldn't let me out of the-" Artemis stopped in mid-sentence, afraid of reminding Minako of the horrid idea.

"Oh, you're right! I did say that, didn't I?" She giggled as she walked to her bathroom. "Now we know that's impossible." She mumbled as she came back with a towel to throw on Artemis's head, for it rained outside.

"Hm. You don't have to tell me." He grunted quietly. Minako let out a small chuckle as she sat down next to the wet and angry man. Looking up at him, Minako rested her head on her hand as she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

 _What...What is this feeling? Sure, there's a hot guy sitting in my room, but this hot guy used to be my cat! This...Hot guy...Used to...Be-_

" **MINAKO! COME DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT NOW!** " A screaming voice interrupted Minako's thoughts.

"Ugh, what did I do _this_ time?" Minako groaned as she begrudgingly got up to walk towards the door. Before leaving, Minako grabbed Artemis's hand and led him towards the bathroom.

"Hey, what're you-" Cutting him off was a slam of the door, a turn of the nob, and a click.

"Sorry, Artemis! If I were to go, I'd be leaving you here alone-in my _room_ -and I'm not taking any chances. Hopefully, my mom won't keep me for long!" She cheerfully declared as she crossed her fingers behind her back, despite the fact that Artemis couldn't see her.

" **MINAKO!** "

" **I'M** **COMING MOM!** Sheesh, gimme a chance to breathe before you go screaming your head off..."

" **EXCUSE ME? DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?** "

Minako paused in her tracks, sweat trickling down her face.

 _H-how did she hear that?!_ _This must be pretty serious..._ She mused.

Once Minako arrived downstairs, her Mom aggressively pulled her by the arm and sat her down at the edge of the couch to where her dad was surprisingly still sleeping on.

"Minako Aino." Her mom deadpanned.

 _Uh-oh. Full name is never good._

"May you please explain to me what is happening on the television?" Minako's mom pointed to the TV as Minako stiffened up. On that very screen was her laying on the streets with Artemis on top of her.

"T-t-t..." She stuttered. "T-the news?"

Her Mom folded her arms, looking even angrier than before.

"This isn't the time for your funny little jokes, Minako." She scolded. "Maybe I should rephrase my question. What are _you_ doing on the news lying on the street?" Minako went numb, trying to find some sort of reasoning to this situation. As she looked back at her mother, she sheepishly shrugged and chuckled.

"Minako Aino..." Minako's mom sternly repeated her full name. Minako cringed, waiting to get the lecture of a lifetime; whatever it was about. The long and silent pause didn't help either.

"...I thought I told you to look twice before crossing the street!" Cried her mother, lightly tapping Minako's head and pulling her into a sudden embrace.

"I don't know what I'd do if you got hit by a car, or bus, or truck. Thank _goodness_ you're alive!"

 _W-w-wait a second..._ Minako thought. _My mom actually CARES about me?!_

As her mom continued to hug her and tell her how worried she was, Minako laid eyes upon an unexpected and nerve racking sight. There Artemis was, standing behind the wall and peeking through as if he wasn't the slightest bit of visible.

 _Dang it! I didn't know Artemis would figure out the lock of the door so quickly, considering he had a cat sized brain!_

Minako gave Artemis a troubling look and waved at him to go away.

"Minako? What're you doing?" Her Mom asked as she finally let go of Minako to look at her.

"Oh, well... It got really smelly all of the sudden." Fibbed Minako, now waving at her nose. "Maybe Dad farted in his sleep or something. Wonder what he's dreaming about."

Artemis, still hiding behind the wall, found Minako's response rather amusing and made a very loud hiccuping sound as he tried to hold in his laughter. But that only made Minako give him the most painful and frightening death stare a human could give, causing him to finally retreat and head back towards her room.

"What was that?" Her mother's head suddenly shot up, looking towards where the strange noise came from. "It sounded like a...Hiccup?"

"Probably the...Air vent." Minako chokingly replied. Her mother shrugged, then put her fingers to her chin.

"Anyway, what was I talking about?" She thought out loud. "Oh yeah! **MINAKO AINO!** " She hugged Minako once more. "Don't you ever scare me like that again! You're lucky that nice man was there to save you." Minako smiled and blushed.

"Y-yeah. I am pretty lucky." She mumbled.

"But, unfortunately for him, he had to deal with meeting such an idiot like you!" Her mother forcefully pushed Minako off of her. "I don't want to see such a disgrace right now, go to your room!" Minako, not very surprised, slowly turned towards the stairs.

"Yes, mother." She deadpanned. "Aaand she's back." Minako muttered to herself once she reached the door of her room. When she opened it, Artemis was going through a drawer full of her clothes.

" _Dah!_ Minako! I-I was just-"

"Save it, Artemis. I'd expect such tomfoolery from you anyway." Minako growled as she fell face first on her bed with an exaggerated sigh.

"Why so cranky, Mina? What were you and your mother talking about?" Artemis asked as he sat next to her. But all Minako did was let out a muffled grumble.

"...Minako? Mina?" Artemis repeated Minako's name over and over again as he constantly poked her head and tried to move her hair from her face.

 _Ugh. Why is Artemis acting so annoying?_ Pondered Minako. _He's like a...Brother. The bothersome brother I never had. It's actually kinda cute..._

"Ugh, fine I'll tell you, just stop poking me already!" Minako grunted as she shoved Artemis's hands away.

"Okay...So the thing is..." Minako slowly sat back up, giving Artemis a serious look. "...We were caught on the news. Now I'm _positive_ all the girls are going to be chasing after you when we go outside." Artemis scratched his head.

"Why were we on the news?"

"Why do you think, stupid? You pushed me away from near death and carried me off into the distance! It's like a fairytale!" Minako emoted as she mockingly laced her fingers and fluttered her eyelashes. "Except the part where you dropped me in a nearby alleyway."

"Don't forget the kicking and screaming and threats of getting viciously whipped with the chain of love." Artemis jokingly added. Minako giggled, then stopped and frowned.

"Wait...Why _did_ you carry me away?" Artemis shrugged and twiddled his thumbs awkwardly.

"I'm not sure _what_ came over me, actually...I just felt like...A hero, you know?" Artemis gushed as he fell backwards on the bed. "As if I could do...anything. But you did get a little heavy after a while, so I had to cut my heroics short." Minako gaped jokingly and punched Artemis in the arm.

"Ow!" He exclaimed. Minako stuck her tounge out in response, then laid down beside him.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think I overheard the news reporter talking about how much of a dream boy you were, and how lucky I was." She said as she chuckled to herself. "How such a dunderhead like you ended up so handsome I'll never know."

Artemis looked at Minako with her head turned the other way, but he could still detect a slight blush in her cheeks.

 _I never thought I'd come to the day...Where I'd see Minako blushing because of ME._ Artemis mused to himself. _I... I love it. But with all the teasing she's done to me from my own personal experiences? They are just BEGGING for payback. She needs to feel what it's like to get teased herself, even if it might seem "unintentional" or "out of love." Let's see if I can play around with her some more._

"Ended up?" Artemis blurted out. " _Pfft_ , I was always handsome. Just ask Luna!" As Artemis finished his sentence, he saw Minako uncomfortably roll farther away from him and smirked to himself.

"I mean, she can tell you all of what she thinks of me, even as a _cat!"_ He continued. Minako's eyes widened as guilt rushed through her spine. Just the mention of Luna made her stomach turn.

 _Oh...Right. Luna._ Thought Minako. _Should I tell her I found Artemis? No, no, she'd just want to see him, and I don't want her finding out about this...Uh, new form of his. But would that be keeping Artemis all to myself? No, of course not. He'll always be Luna's man-or, cat-or...mate, no matter what the circumstances. I mean, who could forget Diana? It's dead obvious. Well, since it's clear as day that my relationship with Artemis will pretty much remain the same, let's see if I can play around with him some more._

"Luna!" She suddenly exclaimed. "Luna, of course! The _cat_ you're madly in love with? Right, you see, I forgot for a sec that you were my cat! _My_ _**CAT!**_ " Minako giggled as she peeked to see a frown grow on Artemis's face.

"And no matter what anybody thinks, or how gorgeous of a man every girl says you are, I'll always be the one to know that deep down inside...Your true self..." Artemis's frown grew even more as Minako continued.

 _What does she know about my true self?_ He pondered. Minako rolled towards Artemis and looked down on him.

"My..." Minako murmured into his ear. "Pe-" Before Minako could say any more, Artemis's hand was covering her mouth.

"Don't you dare say it. Don't you dare use that word." He demanded. Minako scoffed in victory and moved his hand away.

" _Hmph_. Looks like Minako's the winner of this round!" Artemis cocked his head in confusion, then plopped back down on the bed in realization.

"H-how did you-"

"How did I know you were playing games with me?" She finished as she fell down right next to him. "It's because I know you, Artemis. And apparently more than you know me." Artemis scoffed as well, turning his head away.

"...Y-You can't make that judgment." The two just remained silent after a while as Minako proceeded to grin at Artemis. At first it bothered him, but it wasn't long before he just gave up and looked her in the eyes. There she was, still staring at him with a lighter smile as she slowly twirled his long, silver hair around her fingers. The sight of this gesture made his heart pump so hard that he felt like his chest could burst at any second. He was beginning to melt, and he suddenly felt as if he could do anything for her.

"M-M-M-Mina..." He quietly stuttered. Minako moved a strand of hair away from his face as she gave Artemis a soft and loving gaze.

"Hm?"

"W-Was my face fully shown on the news report?"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"Well... I was thinking..." Artemis's cheeks were now red as a tomato, and he felt no shame. He already knew that Minako won the battle and that he was practically surrendering, but he didn't care at the moment.

"Since I've already been s-somewhat exposed to the public...R-remember that favor you asked me?" Minako's eyes sparkled at Artemis's as she stopped playing with his hair and propped her head up.

"Yes?"

"Well...I'll..." Artemis closed his eyes and inhaled, nervousness building up in his stomach. "...I'll do it!" He finally yelped. "I'll be your...fake...celebrity...boyfriend." Minako hopped up and laughed, grabbing Artemis's hands to pull him right side up.

"You really mean it?" She perked, still holding Artemis's hands.

"Well...Yeah. I mean, now that I think about it..." Artemis rubbed his thumbs on Minako's hand. "There's no real reason to deny." Minako grinned and tackled Artemis, ruffling his hair up in the process.

" _Ugh,_ I _love_ you!" She enthused as she gave him one more ruffle on his hair before falling into a deep embrace with Artemis. Although this wasn't the first time, there was something about that hug that differed from any other they've ever had. It was so surreal, so amazing, that they held on for what seemed like an eternity.

"Woah." She breathed. "This feels so...Different." Artemis smiled as he squeezed her tighter.

"I was hoping it would." He whispered. Suddenly, loud footsteps appeared to be approaching the door. Minako gasped and begrudgingly let her arms down, not wanting to let go.

"Sorry, Arte. Looks like we're going to have to hide you again." Artemis gave Minako an understanding look and headed to the bathroom. When he shut the door, he immediately heard Minako's mother come in the room and start lecturing Minako about "acting out her romantic fantasies quieter." Of course, Minako always had a comeback, and it wasn't long before the two were arguing with each other once again. Artemis, still in the bathroom and trying his best to block the noise out, slowly slid down the wall with a dreamy sigh.

"I've always wanted to hold her like that." He gushed. "And it's only been the first day. I have an entire month of situations where I can just wrap my arms around my beautiful princess. I think things are finally looking up for our relationshi-" But then, a troubling thought raced through his mind as his dreamy expression quickly turned into a regretful one. Just a few moments ago, Artemis was in such a trance with Minako that he didn't even realize he agreed on breaking one of the main rules he was given before turning into a human, and it was all just because of her manipulating yet...Soft and lovely gestures that's enough to make a guy melt like butter. Well, at least a guy like Artemis.

"Oh no..." He muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair. "What did I just get myself into?"


	11. Chapter 11

" _Arrrtemis...Arrrrtemis_." Artemis could hear an echoey voice flowing through his ears.

" _Oh Arte! Wakey wakey!_ " It continued. " _I got you some tuna! Your favorite!_ "

Just the word tuna alone got Artemis to immediately pop up out of the...Bathtub. Minako's bathtub to be exact. And there she was, holding a spoon of tuna over his head.

"Finally! _Ha,_ I knew that'd wake you up." Minako chirped. "Now I know that even human-transformed animals don't really change." Artemis, still weary eyed, looked at Minako confusedly, then his eyes slowly trailed down.

" **WAH! I'M-I'M-"**

"Yes, you are a human Artemis. You've been one since yesterday?"

"Oh...Right. Heh-heh." Artemis scratched his head as he chuckled awkwardly. "Wait, did I sleep in your bath all night?!"

Minako giggled and bent down. "Mm-hm. I came in to get you after a while and realized you were asleep, all curled up in my tub!" She said as she moved his long hair away from his face.

"Oh...That would explain..." Artemis looked down to the blanket covering him and held it closer. "Ya know...Its pretty comfy..." He trailed off as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Oh no you don't!" Minako demanded, abruptly yanking the blanket off of Artemis.

" _GAH!_ M-Mina! Give it back!" He childishly whined as he put his hands up to grab the blanket. Minako turned the other direction and moved her pointer finger back and forth while making a "tsk" sound.

"Ya know, as a long time 'advisor' for me, I'd expect more from _you._ But you leave me no choice!" She dropped the blanket in the sink and turned the faucet on.

" **NOOO!** " Artemis cried out.

"I'm sorry, Artemis. But it's for your own good." She stated matter-of-factly. "We have a lot of work to do today, especially considering those are probably the only clothes you have." Minako turned around on her heals and grinned in sudden excitement. "And since you're now officially my celebrity boyfriend, we're going to have to find some convincing outfits for you!" She reached her hand to pull Artemis up, but he just grunted and stood up himself.

"Did I really agree to such a thing...?" He asked with a nervous smile.

Minako sighed and grabbed Artemis's arm. "Yes, you did, and there's no taking it back. Now come on!" Minako pulled Artemis out of the bathroom and towards her door.

"Are you sure it wasn't all just a dream?" He questioned, trying his best to escape from the reality of his mistake. Minako sighed again in response.

"Artemis, it would be pretty ironic for us to dream the same thing. We might be best friends, but we're not _that_ connected." Artemis frowned at Minako's statement, slightly offended that she didn't think they were close enough for such a phenomenon. But deep down in his heart, he felt as if it really _does_ happen. He didn't know how, but he knew that they were more connected than Minako thought.

Suddenly, realization struck him as he almost walked through the door. "Minako, aren't you forgetting something?" He pointed out.

"Oh, right, my lipgloss!" Minako waltzed back towards the bathroom and viciously dug through her purse.

"No, no. Your-"

"Parents?" Minako finished as she finally pulled out the shimmery stick of glory she was scrounging for. "Don't worry. I think they're distracted enough."

And she was right. Once Artemis and Minako arrived downstairs, they didn't have to be any bit of secretive. Minako even greeted her parents goodbye before casually stepping out of the door, but the couple was too busy with their heads stuck on the TV screen to notice.

"My goodness, even as a grown woman may I say, this Sailor V gal has quite the catchy songs!" Minako's mother exclaimed as her husband sang along with the performing teen idol on television, unaware of her true identity. "And to think this magnificent popstar sensation is the same age as our child! **WHY CAN'T YOU BE AS PERFECT AND AMAZING AS THIS YOUNG LADY, MINAK-** " But as she turned around, she realized that Minako was long gone, with the front door swaying back and forth.

"So where shall we go first, Arte?"

" _Humph._ "

" _Oooh,_ how about here!"

" _Humph!_ "

"You're right...it really isn't classy enough. I know! This store looks promising!"

" **HUMPH!** " Artemis continuously grunted as Minako continuously suggested store after store. He thought that being a human might give him at least a little freedom, but no, he _still_ had to go shopping with his perky teenage partner.

" _Ooooh!_ " Minako admired a store for what seemed like the fifth thousandth time. "We're going in here for sure. C'mon, Artemis! We're gonna make you look like a model! Not that you already don't look like one with that face!" As Minako turned to look at Artemis, she saw that the two bandages were back on his forehead.

"W-where did you get those from?!" Minako asked as she briefly let go of Artemis's arm to reach for his forehead.

"Wait!" Artemis held his hands up. "Don't you think that if I'm going to become a...'celebrity boyfriend' that I'd need to keep my identity a secret too? My crescent moon spot is way too obvious and has already been discovered by quite a few people. You don't want to take the risk of other people finding me, or in this case _us_ out, am I right?" Minako put her hand on her chin to think to herself.

"Hmm... I guess you're right. But wouldn't it take the attention away from your face?"

Artemis chortled as he shook his head. "Unlike you Minako, I don't really care about looks all that much. I've been a cat the majority of my life so far and-"

"W-wait. _Majority? So far?_ " Minako interrupted with a very puzzled look on her face.

"...And besides, wouldn't you want to have less girls chasing after me?" Artemis deliberately ignored her to get his main point across.

"Well...Yeah...Yeah, that makes sense." Minako agreed, quickly forgetting about Artemis's confusing statement. "Alright, from now on, we keep those bandages on your head while in public and not as our celebrity alter egos!" She practically screamed aloud as she got multiple stares from people passing by. All Artemis could do was slam his face into his palms and wonder how the heck she wasn't discovered yet with the amount of carelessly revealing declarations she'd have in public.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go transform you into Sailor _Swoon!_ " Minako enthused as she started to pull Artemis's arm once again.

"That...That was so bad Minako..." Artemis deadpanned. "Like, _extremely_ bad. Y-you need work on that."

"...I know." Minako silently agreed with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

Artemis chuckled to himself despite Minako's bad joke and actually began to cooperate, walking side-by-side with her so she wouldn't have to drag him all the way to their destination.

 _Oh man...I almost slipped up with that 'majority' thing._ Artemis thought. _Thank goodness Minako is so forgetful._

As soon as they set foot in that store, Artemis could tell by Minako's exhilarated face that he was doomed. For what seemed like forever, Artemis would go in the dressing room, try on excruciatingly uncomfortable, flashy, or just plain ridiculous outfits to twirl around and model for Minako, only for her to shake her head for him to try on the next one. After modeling fifty-five more outfits, Artemis was convinced that they tried on the entire men's section and protested on Minako searching for more. Nevertheless, Minako went anyway, finding one more outfit sitting alone on display.

"This." She declared confidentially as she held out the outfit in her hands. "This has _got_ to be it."

Artemis, exhausted and in pain from twirling in every tight pair of pants he could think of, didn't even bother turning around to look towards the bubbly blonde behind him. Minako rolled her eyes and threw the outfit on top of Artemis's head as he grunted and shoved it off. As the clothes lay on the floor, Artemis took a quick glance at it before doing a double take and lifted his head up. Out of all of the clothes he has seen and tried on (which was pretty much every men's outfit), he was actually somewhat interested in this particular one. He slowly picked up the outfit and examined it long and hard before Minako impatiently pushed him in the dressing room.

After a minute or so, Minako started to get up from her seat to knock on the door to check on Artemis. Before she could get to the stall, Artemis opened the door as he approached Minako and slowly spun around with his hands in his pockets.

"So..." He started. "What do you think?"

Minako smiled sincerely, a light sparkle glimmering from her eyes. She straitened the edges of the shirt and turned him towards the outside mirror.

"It's...It's perfect." Minako wrapped her arms around Artemis's waist and gazed up at him almost in a gawking manner. " _You're_ perfect."

"Hm?"

" _Oh!_ I, um _..._ I _-_ I was just telling you how perfect you look in this outfit! D-don't you like it?"

"Well-"

"Great! Then it's settled. What are you waiting for? Go take it off so we can purchase it and _really_ make you look like a celebrity! **HAHAHA!** " And with that, Minako slapped Artemis back into the dressing room once again. After slamming him in, Minako put her back against the door and slowly slid down.

"Honestly...Out of all people." She thought aloud. "My _cat_ ends up being the most handsome man in my life." A male passerbyer silently glanced at Minako, overhearing her rather strange statement as she casually gazed back at him. After constantly getting weird looks every single day, it didn't really phase her much anymore.

Suddenly, the door to the dressing room swung open, pushing Minako who sat against it violently to the floor.

" _Gwagh!_ " She squawked in surprise.

"Minako? Where'd ya go? Please don't tell me you went to get another outfit." Artemis asked exasperatedly as he proceeded to walk passed Minako, crushing her fingers with his feet in the process.

" **GWAGH!** " She squawked once again, now shifting her body into fetal position to prevent anymore sudden pain.

"Mina? I hear your voice around somewhere, but I don't see-"

" **I'M DOWN HERE YOU IDIOT!** " Minako yelled with her fist up in the air.

"Oh! Minako, what are you doing down there?"

"That's what I'd like to know." An employee walked up to Minako with her arms crossed. "Not only have you been causing way too much commotion in our store, but to crawl under the dressing room and peak on this young- _-Fine man you are!_ " The lady shrieked in delight as she began to flirtatiously flip her hair.

"Uh-oh, not again." Artemis murmured to himself.

" _Actually!_ " Minako blurted out as she quickly stood up and flattened out her clothes. "This 'fine young man' is my boyfriend, and I was just checking to see if he was alright." She hastily walked back in the dressing room and handed the employee the desired outfit. "We will buy these clothes and leave immediately for causing such commotion, thank you very much."

The lady looked at Minako up and down before scoffing and whipping around to walk towards the check-out counter.

"Wow Mina." Artemis leaned over to Minako and whispered as they followed the employee. "You actually handled that pretty...maturely." Minako looked at Artemis and beamed.

"What would you expect from a professional teen idol?" She responded with a wink.

After paying for the clothes, Artemis and Minako headed out, not knowing what to do next. It was now the evening, and Artemis just wanted a break. Minako, however, still had a lot of energy in her. Despite their differences in attitude, they both had the same thing on their mind.

"Ya know what, Artemis? I'm famished. Let's go eat something!" Minako suggested.

Artemis grinned in glee. "Yes! Finally our thoughts connect! Where should we go?"

"Hm..." They both thought long and hard before snapping and pointing to each other.

"Ramen!" They shouted at the same time and laughed.

"Wow, you're right Arte! Our thoughts really _are_ connecting! Maybe it's a night time thing." Artemis chuckled and continued to stare at Minako.

 _Huh..._ He mused _...I wouldn't be surprised if it's the twinkling lights in her eyes at night that connect me to her._ Minako glared at him as well, practically thinking the same exact thought. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that those were the same eyes that belonged to her cat, which will probably be an every day problem from now on until she gets used to Artemis being human.

As the two continued to stroll down the street, from around the corner, Minako could hear obnoxious giggling and a familiarly attractive male voice. She slowly turned around to lay eyes upon a boy and a girl and realized it was in fact Katsuo and Aimi, a duo that must be avoided at all times, even without Artemis beside her.

"Oh no." Minako breathed as she abruptly turned around, grabbing Artemis's hand behind her.

"Mina-?"

"No time to explain. Follow me." Minako pulled Artemis deep into the bustling crowd and mindlessly walked into a random store.

"Minako, where exactly are..." Artemis trailed off as he gaped at his surroundings, his mouth hanging wide open. Minako whirled around to figure out what was wrong, then gasped in utter shock.

There they were, both facing the absolute hugest display of Sailor V merchandise they've ever seen. Minako's eyes grew wide, her smile growing more and more everywhere she looked. However, the gigantic poster of her winking eyes, puckered lips and kiss-blown pink heart above her is what made Minako squeal so loud that the entire idol store went silent.

"Artemis..." Minako muttered in a semi-inaudible whisper. "I...haven't even been an idol for that long. But my dream...It's coming true. **IT'S BLOOMING INTO A GLISTENING FLOWER OF LOVE AND BEAUTY RIGHT BEFORE MY-** "

" _Wooah!_ " A familiar, squeaky voice vocalized in amazement. "It's Minako! There! Over there! And there, too!" Usagi pointed to every product that had to do with Sailor V.

"But not over here!" Minako murmured as she took Artemis's hand and led them behind a shelf.

"Usagi, how many times do I have to tell you to stop shouting her name in public!" Rei scolded as quietly as she could, which wasn't very quiet.

"What? Minako does it all the time! You'd think people figured out her true identity by now anyway." Usagi casually stated.

"She's not wrong." Artemis whispered. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that, Minako. You-"

"Here!" Minako cut Artemis off as she pointed to a small space between boxes of Sailor V karaoke machines to hide in. "This should be a perfect place to stay until they leave!"

" _Uh-uh._ " Artemis protested as he crossed his arms. "No way am I going in _there._ " Minako growled to herself before smiling sweetly at Artemis, resting her hands on his chest.

"Aw, come on! Hopefully it'll only be for a little while. _Pweeease?_ " She pleaded as she made her infamous puppy eyes and adorable pout. Artemis, knowing what mystical powers Minako was capable of holding, quickly turned the other direction.

"Y-you put me through enough pain today Minako, and-"

"Fine." Minako interrupted, pushing her hands off of his chest. "I guess we'll just have to try our best to avoid them as much as possible." Artemis's eye twitched, annoyed that Minako cut him off for the second time.

"I know, I know. All this avoiding can grow to be a pain, right?" Soothed Minako, mistaking Artemis's facial expression for said reason. "Well, now that you're in fact my celebrity boyfriend, consider this as part of your training!"

Artemis raised a brow as Minako slowly lowered herself to the ground. "Minako beauty goddess love samurai Venus ninja power... _Make up!_ " She exclaimed as she narrowed her eyes to peak through the shelf and shuffled on the ground clumsily.

Artemis just stood there, staring at his beloved Minako pretending to be a ninja and failing miserably as she constantly knocked down various figurines and boxes.

 _Would ya look at that._ Artemis thought. _And here I thought our minds were connected._


	12. Chapter 12

"Rei, can you believe it?! She's even got her own dolls! Man, Mina-"

" _U-sa-gi._ "

"I mean Sailor V sure is popular! Hehe..."

Usagi and Rei continued to browse through the store as they got closer to the row where Minako and Artemis were standing. Well, at least Artemis was actually standing. Minako was crouched down to the floor pretending to be a "stealthy ninja" in order to hide with Artemis, but he didn't seem to be interested.

"Artemis! Rei and Usagi are getting closer! What do you think you're doing?!" Minako whispered harshly as she peeked her head between the two boxes she was hiding behind. Artemis sighed as he began to slowly descend to the floor when a bundle of noisy fangirls entered the store, startling him into a great fall.

" _Yes!_ They've got the super ultra uber rare special edition Sailor V karaoke set! Complete with the karaoke machine and golden star-patterned microphones designed after- _Omigosh!_ Are you alright, mister?!" One of the girls of the bunch noticed Artemis as he rolled around on the floor, groaning in pain.

 _Nice going, Artemis._ Thought Minako. _You sure know how to really draw attention to yourself, I'll give you that._

"Uh...I-I'm..." Artemis looked up to see who he was dealing with before ultimately deciding whether it was necessary to hide his face or not.

 _Huh...I can't seem to get a good look at them...Now that I think about it, my vision got kinda blurry after that fall._ Artemis thought, rubbing his eyes to see if they'd adjust. Without realizing, as his hand brushed across his face, his arm swooped across his forehead, causing the bandage to peel off.

"Don't worry mister, help is on the _waaaaay_ \- hotter than any other guy I've ever seen." The girl, finally getting a good look at Artemis, gaped in awe at his handsome features.

"Oh no." Artemis thought aloud.

"Girls, all of you! Get over here, I think I just made a revolutionary discovery!" The hyper teen called over to her fangirl posse in excitement.

"Oh no." Minako thought aloud as well.

"Eh? Rei, whattya think those girls are making such a commotion for?" Usagi asked her hot-headed friend, who was casually flipping through a magazine with Minako as Sailor V on the front cover.

"Ah, apparently a very handsome man that they find to be a 'revolutionary discovery' caught all of their attention." Rei replied nonchalantly as she continued to flip through the pages of the magazine. "It's pathetic, really."

Minako, who was close by, overheard their conversation and sighed in relief. "Huh...Well, I guess it can't be helped for Artemis to be constantly trampled by a swarm of girls in public." Minako spoke to herself. "As long as any of the Sailor Senshi don't-"

" _Ehhh,_ you're just saying that because you already have a boyfriend!" Usagi replied to Rei in her usual high-pitched whiny voice.

"Well for someone who's had a boyfriend way longer then I did, you seem a little too interested." Rei calmly responded as she proceeded to flip through the magazine.

" _Oho_ , getting all high and mighty I see!" Usagi mocked, holding her head up high and folding her hands. "Suit yourself Rei. But as for me, I don't find anything wrong with checking out other hunksters once in a while. Besides, there's a ninety-nine percent chance that his handsomeness won't compare to my Mamo-chan!"

Usagi ran towards the crowd of excited fangirls surrounding Artemis, jumping up and down to see if she can get a glance above the bundle. After finally getting a good look at the "revolutionary discovery," Usagi slowly wobbled back towards Rei, her jaw hanging wide open.

"So..." Rei started, finally looking up from the magazine to Usagi. "Did that 'hunkster' fulfill that one percent chance?" Usagi slowly nodded her head, her mouth still gaping in awe.

"Bad..." Minako mumbled as she grabbed her head in utter frustration. "Bad, this is _really_ bad! I don't even think this could get any worse."

"Mister! Mister, over here!"

"Mister, you have to have at least a little royalty in your blood, because I just feel the need to bow down in your very presence!"

Artemis laughed nervously as the teenagers continued to shower him with compliments. "Girls, girls, please...D-don't you think you're taking this a little too far?"

Minako, who was still hiding behind the shelf, scoffed in disgust.

"Mister, you're handsome and all, but I can't just seem to ignore that weird moon spot on your forehead. Were you born with that? If you were, I hope it's not hereditary, because that would cause many complications for our future children..." As the fangirl proceeded her rambling, Artemis could feel his face go numb as his trembling hands brushed across his bare forehead.

"...I mean, Sailor V has one just like it, but at least I know it's a temporary tattoo- mister? Are you alright? Your face is getting a little pale..." The teenager slowly backed up, finally taking Artemis's need for personal space into consideration.

Minako, with a facial expression similar to Artemis's, almost ripped her hair out of her scalp in terror.

 _The bandaid! When could've it have peeled off? And why didn't that dunderhead notice as soon as it happened?! Ugh! Wait...No. I can't blame him. I'm the one who's been jinxing everything._ Minako thought as she crawled closer to the crowd of girls. _I caused this mess by coming into this store. Now I have to clean it up myself! Think Minako, think.._. Minako desperately scanned the store for any solutions, until she laid her eyes upon a vase of flowers...

"Mister, what's your name?"

"Mister, where do you live? Not that I'd want to stalk you while you're eating or anything!"

"Mister, when-" The constant babbling of the fangirls were interrupted when suddenly, a rose shot across the room.

"...Huh? **Tuxedo Kamen?!** " Usagi sprinted towards the flower, along with everybody else who were far too familiar with the sign of Tuxedo Kamen's entrance. Minako, thankful of how distracted teenage girls could get, ran towards Artemis, grabbed his arm and darted out the door as they both cheered in relief.

"Teenagers...I swear they scare the living crap outta me." Artemis breathed, his heart still pounding furiously after him and Minako's great escape.

"I know right? Especially those cringey fangirls. Don't they just make you wanna gag?" Minako responded, making a grimacing face and sticking her pointer finger on her tongue.

"Mina...You do realize that those 'cringey fangirls' used to be you before you became an idol, right? P-please tell me you realize that..."

"People change Artemis, _sheesh._ " Minako intentionally bumped her shoulder into Artemis as he rolled his eyes in response.

"I'm just glad that we got passed...Ya know..." Artemis said, putting his hands behind his head.

"Yeah...Whatever you do, _never_ underestimate a Sailor Senshi's instinct." Minako stated matter-of-faculty.

Little did they know that a certain raven-haired girl who was pretending to read a magazine was fully aware of the situation.


	13. Chapter 13

Artemis and Minako were strolling down the street in a comfortable silence, looking up at the Christmas lights hung around the poles.

"Pretty." Minako whispered as she continued to stare at the colorful twinkles above her.

"Yeah..." Artemis agreed, doing the same. As they proceeded to walk down the block, they began to pass multiple apartment complexes, in which Artemis casually glanced at. However, just a quick look at the buildings sparked a certain feeling, as if he  
was supposed to remember something having to do with them. Doing a double take, Artemis suddenly halted, scratching his head as he tried to stimulate his brain to recall whatever he needed to recall.

"Apartments...Why...Uh..." He contemplated out loud as Minako turned to see what the silver-haired man was talking about.

"Artemis, what is it? Something important?" She asked.

"Yes! Important!" Artemis exclaimed. "But...I-I just don't know how."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...It has something to do with apartments...And me."

Minako snickered as Artemis proceeded to glare at the buildings. "What, did you make some kind of deal with apartments that I don't know about?"

"Yeah..."

"W-what?" Minako's face twisted in utter confusion. Artemis, still staring at the apartments, slowly turned around to walk towards the buildings and away from Minako.

"Mina, I think I'll go to check them out. If I don't come back, then just know that I'm settled in and completely fine." He assured her.

Minako reached her hand out to grab Artemis's arm in protest. "But Arte..."

"Seriously, it'll be okay. Besides, I can't sleep in your bathtub forever." Artemis joked to lighten the mood. However, Minako's gloomy expression became contagious, and soon enough Artemis felt gloomy as well.

"Artemis...Can't you see?" Minako muttered, her grip on the bag of clothes visibly tightening. "This is the first time I'm letting you out of my sight to live on your own...As a _human_. And a pretty handsome one at that." Minako slowly raised her  
head, her face wearing that unconvincing smile it usually does when she tries to hide her feelings. "Just...Be careful, okay?" Murmured Minako as she cheerfully handed the shopping bag to her human partner. Artemis slowly rose his hand and took it  
awkwardly, his main focus being on the lights hanging above him as he tried to avoid eye contact. For the first time, he was actually unsure of how to deal with Minako's behavior. This was a situation that was brand new to the both of them, after  
all.

"Of course. I promise." Artemis assured, finally looking at Minako in her eyes, his reflection looking back at him from the twinkling ocean blue orbs. Minako, slightly overwhelmed from Artemis's sudden eye contact, lowered her head once again as she took  
slow, small steps towards the man in front of her. She moved closer and closer until the tips of their feet were able to touch, then suddenly wrapped his arms around his body. Artemis stiffened in her embrace, not sure how to react at first. However,  
he soon fell into the moment and wrapped his own arms around Minako. Once Artemis deepened the hug, the same sensation they've felt in their previous embrace returned. A wave of warm energy flowed throughout their entire body and escaped through their  
fingertips, and the feeling was so surreal that it felt as if they stayed in this one spot, this one position, for hours. Obviously, that wasn't the case, but oh how they wish it was.

As they remained in their reverie, passerbys began to stare. Some would stare in second hand embarrassment, while others would stare in envy. Either way, people were staring, and as Minako slowly slipped out of her trance, she just as slowly began to  
realize...

 _Crap. We're making a scene, aren't we._

As the world that once stopped spinning steadily began to be brought back to life again, Minako's thoughts of the concerning amounts of attention they were drawing raced through her mind and resulted in complete embarrassment.

"W-he-ell! It doesn't really make much sense to stall the moment any longer, now does it?!" Minako suddenly blurted as she forcefully pushed herself away from Artemis.

"Huh-Huh? Whu..." Artemis blubbered, still visibly groggy from the past experience.

"' _Huh? Huh?_ '" Minako mockingly mimicked, causing Artemis to quickly snap back to reality and frown upon her antics.

"Come on, don't play dumb. We've been together ever since we've met, and its a little weird for you when it comes to us splitting ways so you can live on your own. Trust me, I know exactly how you're feeling." Minako put a hand on Artemis's shoulder and  
nodded thoughtfully. "But the day had to arrive one way or another, and we all saw it coming." Artemis rolled his eyes.

"Minako...Get real. Neither of us saw this coming."

"Oh...Right. Haha!" Minako briefly chortled before immediately shifting back to her serious mode. "But really, Artemis. Leave now before I drag you home with me."

"Hehehe...Right. I guess I'll be going, then." Artemis genuinely laughed at Minako's comment before waving happily and turning to walk towards the apartment complexes.

"Don't look back, don't look back, don't look back..." Artemis repeatedly muttered to himself, keeping his head down low so he wouldn't be tempted to do the very thing his mind protested against.

"Don't look back, don't look back, don't look back..." Minako also muttered to herself. But then, an alarming thought suddenly rang in her head like the clock in her room every school morning.

 _Dang it...I'm gonna have to look back now, aren't I._ She thought.

"Er... **Artemis?!** " Minako yelled across the walkway.

Artemis took an exsasperted sigh before slowly raising his head.

 _How did I know...I was gonna have to look back._ He mused to himself before shifting his body towards Minako's direction.

" **Turns out, I just remembered...I have a Sailor V interview on Tuesday! And you're coming with me!** " Minako's words crashed into Artemis's skull like a truck as his eyes grew wide in sudden surprise and anxiousness.

As people stopped to look at the shouting girl, she slowly lowered her head down in shame.

"Whoops...I definitely just shouted that across the walkway." She muttered to herself. " **Well, see ya tomorrow! Haha! Hahaha!** " And with that, Minako continued to laugh loud and awkwardly as she turned to walk to her house, the nervous  
knot in the pit of her stomach tightening every step she took.

Apparently, Artemis's emotions were very similar. However, instead of nervousness, it was more of "you have got to be kidding me." And so, with those emotions sinking deeper within, Artemis whispered...

"You have got to be kidding me."

Hesitant and apprehensive, Artemis walked up to the front door of the apartment complex office and took a long, deep breath.

"Okay, Artemis. Let's hope this wasn't a mistake." He whispers before sucking the air in, puffing his chest and pushing the door open. Well, at least he thought he was pushing the door open. Turns out, the door wasn't opening at all. "N-no..." Artemis  
mumbled in fear. "Don't tell me it's closed..."

"Uh...Sir?" Said a voice of a teenage girl behind Artemis as she slowly tapped his shoulder. "Um...Yeah, you actually have to _pull_ the handle if you're ever planning to go inside, and not stand out here pushing with all of your might and looking  
like an idiot." She grumbled crankily.

Artemis, appaled at the female's abrupt rudeness, rapidly turned around to confront her. "Now was that really nece-" Artemis cut himself off as the sight of the very young woman in front of him left his body paralyzed right on the spot.

"S-sorry...I was being pretty rude." She apologized, twirling her long ponytail in embarrassment. "I guess I'm just a little tense today. You see, there's this dance coming up in my school, and I-sir? Are you okay?"

Artemis, still in shock, remained in the same position as he constantly tried to move his mouth to form at least one word. However, all he could do was panic as his mind repeated the same phrase over and over again.

 _Oh crap, it's Mako-chan! What do I do? Oh crap, it's Mako-chan! What do I do? Oh crap..._

"Um..." Makoto slowly backed up. "I mean, I know I was being a little harsh just now, but don't you think you're overreacting?"

As Artemis continued to stand like a statue, Makoto rolled her eyes before slowly looking back at him.

"H-hey..." She murmured, awkwardly coughing into her fist. "I already have a boyfriend of my own, but i-if you don't mind the compliment, you're a rather good-looking guy..."

"I think I'll be going now." Artemis suddenly choked out the words he's been wanting to say since the very beginning as he clumsily pushed the handle before chuckling with embarrassment and pulling the handle to enter the front office. Makoto giggled  
at the sight and watched as the tall male in front of her walked into the building.

 _What a strange guy._ She thought to herself as she stared up at the Christmas lights hung up on the windows. _Yet there's something awfully..._ _ **Familiar**_ _about him._ Makoto shrugged her thoughts off before casually  
opening the door to walk in on the apartmentclerk and silver-haired man having a discussion.

"Maybe if we just check one more time we'd be able to find you. However, we will need your last name in order to do so. Are you sure you don't go by anything else other than your first name?"

"No...My name is Artemis, and solely Artemis. No more, no less."

As soon as that name came out of Artemis's mouth, Makoto froze, in a similar state of paralysis that he was in.

"No..." Makoto barely let out an audible whisper. "It can't be..."

* * *

 **A/N: I am so so so so so sorry it took so long, guys! But it's finally out: Chapter 13! I haven't really posted in the past few months because of school, business, and of course, writer's block. So now that I finally found the time and motivation to finish and post this chapter, it would be supercalifragilisticexpealidocious if you could give some story/writing suggestions! Thank you so much! JUPITER HOME BISCUIT DIZZLE SLICES CRASH! :D**


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